Nigeria to hold presidential vote on February 14, 2015
Nigeria is to hold its next presidential election on February 14, 2015, the electoral agency said Friday, with incumbent head of state Goodluck Jonathan expected to seek a second term.
When traditions violate human rights: bride kidnapping in Kazakhstan
Members of the Lower Chamber of the Kazakhstan Parliament are considering toughening of the punishment for bride kidnapping in Kazakhstan.
France's embattled Hollande to meet pope, woo angry Catholics
Abortion and euthanasia will be among hot button issues on the table when Pope Francis meets embattled French President Francois Hollande.
Brain-dead Texas woman's fetus 'abnormal,' lawyers say
The fetus being carried by a pregnant American woman already declared brain dead is "distinctly abnormal".
Australia asylum policy 'draconian': rights group
Australia has damaged its human rights record by persistently undercutting refugee protections, including a "draconian" policy to send asylum-seekers to Pacific island camps.
Same-sex couples sue Florida for right to wed
Six same-sex couples filed suit against the US state of Florida Tuesday for refusing to let them marry.
Australia to go ahead with shark 'kill' zones
A controversial policy to catch and kill sharks off popular west coast beaches got the green light in Australia, in a move the Humane Society Tuesday termed a "complete disgrace".
Smoking pot no more dangerous than drinking: Obama
President Barack Obama says smoking pot is no more dangerous than drinking but calls it a "bad idea," amid a push for legalization in several states.
Foreign charter flights ban causes annual loss of $4.5 million to Almaty airport
The Airport of Almaty is loosing $4.5 million annually because of the ban on foreign charter flights from Kazakhstan.
Uganda president blocks anti-gay bill: report
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has refused to approve a controversial bill that would see homosexuals jailed for life, saying there were better ways to cure the "abnormality", a report said Friday.
Japan PM to attend Sochi Olympics: reports
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is planning to attend the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics, reports said Friday, despite calls for a boycott over Russia's anti-gay laws.
Same-sex ban 'legalises' homophobic violence: gay Nigerians
Gay activists on Tuesday vowed to fight the Nigerian government after the country outlawed same-sex unions, warning the act legitimised homophobic violence and increased fears of persecution.
New Criminal Code: Kazakhstan to reserve to confiscation of property without court verdict in exceptional cases only
Confiscation of property without a court verdict will only be used in cases against fugitive criminals and to fight illegal acquisition of property in Kazakhstan.
MPs waive off legalization of polygamy in Kazakhstan
Members of Kazakhstan's Majilis (Lower Chamber of the Parliament) have commented on the idea of making polygamy legal in Kazakhstan.
Ex-Vice-Minister of Agriculture promotes polygamy in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s former Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Marat Tolibayev has proposed to legalize polygamy in Kazakhstan.
Hollande says may sue magazine over affair claim
French President Francois Hollande told AFP Friday he was considering legal action against Closer after the magazine said he was having an affair with an actress.
UAE made me 'a scapegoat': US man jailed for YouTube gag
An American jailed for nine months in the United Arab Emirates for making a spoof YouTube video mocking Dubai teenagers returned home Thursday, comparing the experience to being in a "cage."
Hollande backs ban on 'anti-Semitic' comedian
President Francois Hollande has backed attempts to ban controversial French comedian Dieudonne as a furore intensified over his sketches that have been widely condemned as anti-Semitic.
Commercial catching of sturgeons at Caspian banned
A moratorium on commercial fishing of sturgeons at the Caspian Sea came into force on January 1, 2014.
Obama proposes new gun rules for mentally ill
The Obama administration proposed two new federal gun control rules Friday to ensure more information about the mentally ill reaches background check databases, after a series of high-profile US shootings.